No Other Man Alive:One Shots
by sgtgirl
Summary: One shots and outtakes relating to No Other Man Alive, some back story and some deleted scenes, and who knows what else!
1. The First Tattoo

**Disclaimer-I own many things, I don't own Sons of Anarchy, though.**

"Take a few days, Happy." Tacoma's Sergeant at Arms, Bear, told him in the gravel parking lot of the old warehouse that served as Tacoma's clubhouse. "Disappear until the heat dies down."

"Ain't gonna be any heat, Bear, that was fucking perfect." Happy protested, rubbing a hand over his short cropped dark hair in agitation. He didn't want to leave town, he wanted to hole up in his club's home and drown himself in pussy and Jack Daniels.

"Doesn't matter how good you did, brother, get your ass out of Washington." Bear crossed his arms over his big barrel chest, and Happy knew he'd already lost the argument. "And not to another clubhouse, either, go down and see your mother or something."

"Got it." Happy answered, he knew he owed his ma a visit anyway, but he didn't like mixing his MC identity with his life back home and he was too high on completing the most serious task his club had ever set him to be able to settle back into being Hector. It was a long ride, though, and maybe by the end of the road he'd be chilled out again.

**No Other Man Alive**

Ashley opened the refrigerator, even though she knew what she'd find and sighed, there was half a bottle of ketchup, and some sliced bologna that she thought had probably been there for 6 months. She climbed up on the scarred counter to check the coffee can on top of the fridge, hoping that there was enough change in there to buy some actual food. Her dad had already hit it up, though, it was empty and she flung it across the little kitchen. The empty clang was pretty much how her stomach felt. Her parents hadn't been home in days, probably gone to their drug dealer's house and ran out of gas with no money to get back.

Swallowing her pride, she jumped down from the counter and headed next door, snatching up her backpack as she went. Ashley hated having to go to Miss Delia for help, but there wasn't really any choice. She stopped in her tracks on the driveway between the two tiny houses. Black and shiny, it was entirely out of place on the block, and there was only one person it could belong to. Ashley pulled the rubberband from her braid and shook her hair out, hoping that the brunette dye job she'd done on herself would make her look older.

"Come on in, honey!" Miss Delia called to her before she'd even had a chance to knock on the door. Pushing it open, Ashley could never help comparing the house she lived in to this actual home. It smelled like cinnamon pretty much all the time for no discernible reason and there were pictures everywhere. She was even in some of them, but mostly they were of Hector when he was younger. Her favorite was from when she was a baby, and Hector had a head full of dark curly hair, actually looking like he didn't hate holding her.

"Hector's home?" Ashley asked, a little breathlessly, and mentally berated herself for how eager she knew she must sound. She didn't actually know exactly what kind of girls Hector liked, but she was sure they were a lot cooler than she was.

"Yes." Delia smiled, her son was the absolute apple of her eye, no matter what he was up to. "Just got in a couple hours ago, I'm surprised you slept through his motorcycle."

"Me, too." Ashley admitted. The roar of the Harley was something that usually set her heart racing, no matter what hour it sounded. If he'd only just gotten in a little while ago, that meant he had probably ridden through the night and was sleeping.

"Come sit down, I'll make you some breakfast." Delia told her and Ashley smiled gratefully, because Miss Delia never made her ask.

"How long is he staying?" Ashley asked between bites, trying not to show exactly how hungry she really was.

"A couple of days." Delia hummed happily, and Ashley grinned because the last few times Hector had come into town, he'd only stayed a day at most. "Are you coming for dinner, dear? You know he'd love to see you."

Ashley didn't really think he cared whether he saw her or not, but the double attraction of home cooked food and Hector was far more than she could resist. "Sure."

**No Other Man Alive**

Happy woke up later than he meant to, closer to dinner than lunch. He didn't feel any more relaxed than he had when he'd stood in the parking lot with Bear. It was an itchy feeling, like knowing you were forgetting something, but not what it was. He hauled himself off of the bed he'd slept on as teenager and flicked the curtains aside to look outside. His Ma's car was gone, and he knew there would be a note downstairs letting him know that she went to the store to pick up something for dinner. The shitheap house next door seemed to be empty, but the girl should be coming home from school soon.

Not interested in examining his own motives, Happy pulled on jeans and his cut, lighting a smoke on his way down the stairs. He dropped his shades into place as soon as he stepped out onto the porch, his eyes definitely not up to facing down the SoCal sun. Porch sitting was practically an Olympic sport here on the block, and he still loved the voyeuristic aspect of it. He checked his phone, it was about the right time for Ashley to be showing up, so he angled his chair in the direction of the local high school and waited. Minutes ticked by, and unless shit had changed since he'd been in school, she was definitely later than she should be. He'd almost made up his mind to take a ride in that direction when he spotted her. She'd dyed her hair dark, which had thrown him off at first, and her head was down so her face was obscured. He didn't know why in the fuck she would have done that, her red hair was a real stand out. He narrowed his eyes when she looked up and smiled, seeing him on the porch. By looks of her, she'd been fighting.

"C'mere, kid." He called when she started to turn toward her own house. She never hesitated, just trudged up the steps toward him, dabbing the last dribbles of blood from her nose. "Scrapping again?"

"It's not my fault." She growled, dropping into the chair next to his, and he laughed at her vehemence.

"Sure it's not." He agreed, and grabbed her hand, her knuckles were puffy but she hadn't managed to rip any of them open. "Didja at least win?"

"No, but there were three of them." Ashley defended. "I held my own."

"Bet you did. Stay put, I'm gonna get something for your hands." He ordered her and went inside to dig around in the freezer for some frozen peas. He found two bags of them and grabbed a washrag, wetting it and wringing it out. On the porch, she silently submitted to him dropping a bag of peas on each hand. She rolled her eyes when he started washing her face off.

"I'm not a child, you know." She told him drily, and he snorted.

"Sure ya are, you're what? All of thirteen?" He teased, she was so easy to rile up.

"I'm fourteen, actually, asshole." She grumbled and this time he outright laughed at her. He ruffled her hair while she scowled at him, and sat back down.

"Don't grow up too fast, kid." He told her, and really got a good look at her. She really wasn't a kid anymore, starting to get curves in all kinds of places, and he made a mental note to tell his Ma to keep an eye on that shit. Too many girls in this neighborhood got their stupid asses knocked up in high school, and Ashley was too good for all that. After a while, he plucked the peas from her hands and ran his thumbs across her knuckles. They were a little bruised, but she didn't flinch so he let her be.

He watched her pull out a sketchbook from her bag, and some charcoal pencils that were a third of the size they'd started out being. It was one of the things he liked about her, she never forced him to talk, just found something to occupy herself. She'd been the same way before he'd gotten locked up, just lurked nearby and entertained herself, like a little shadow. He'd been such a goddamn punk as a teenager, too, he was sure she'd gotten more of an education than she should've.

"Where're your parents at?" He asked, pulling her attention back to him. She shrugged and started to close the book, but he stopped her with a hand across the open pages.

"Your guess is as good as mine." She said, handing the book across to him.

"You're getting pretty good." He observed, studying the drawing of his Harley. He flipped through the rest of her book, pausing whenever something caught his eye.

"Thanks." He looked over at her, and her whole face was lit up at the praise. He didn't ever want a fucking kid, but he still couldn't figure out how her parents could keep picking drugs over her. It was good that his Ma could watch out for her. He kept flipping through the book, thinking about how talented she was.

**No Other Man Alive**

The restless feeling only got worse through the evening. He'd gone out for a ride hoping that catching some wind would clear his head, but it didn't. It was after midnight when he'd pulled back in the driveway and killed the motor. He lit a smoke and sat his bike for a while, eyes wandering the neighborhood. He noticed that Ashley's parents still weren't home, but the light in their kitchen was on. He crept through the yard and looked in the window.

Ashley was sitting at the table, a stack of school books in front of her, but it was her sketchbook that was open. Her forehead was wrinkled in concentration, and there was a smudge of charcoal next to her mouth. Knowing it was a bad fucking idea, he went back to his Harley, pulling his tat kit and a bottle of Jack from the worn saddlebag. She only startled a little when he tapped on the window, but she got right up and unlocked the door, standing back to let him in.

"What're you doing up?" He asked her, sitting down in the seat she'd been in and looking at the portrait she'd been working on. "Who's that?"

"Just a guy." Ashley said, flipping the book closed, her cheeks burning.

"Do I need to go have a talk with this punk?" Happy asked, tapping the cover of the book.

"Oh my God, no." She groaned, exasperated, fetching him a glass. He nodded gratefully and tipped a generous amount of Jack in it. Ashley pushed her glass across the table at him and he laughed, but still poured a tiny bit in for her.

"Don't be stupid and get yourself in trouble." He said seriously, with a pointed look at the sketchbook she was still cradling.

"I'm serious, it's really nothing." She said, putting it aside. They were silent for a long time, and he was starting to question why he was there when she spoke again. "What's it like being in a motorcycle club?"

"It's pretty cool." He admitted. "Always a brother around to have your back."

"Sounds nice." Ashley said, a little wistful. She grinned impishly at him, then, and drank the whiskey in her glass neatly. "Ever do anything illegal for your club?"

"Sure." He laughed and kicked her ankle under the table, making her laugh. "How much do you want to know?"

"All of it." She shot back and he knew she was daring him.

"Not a chance, baby girl." He said, refilling his drink and ignoring her when she nudged her glass at him again.

He was starting to feel pleasantly mellowed out by his third drink. Ashley had continued to bug him about what his life was like now up in Tacoma, so he'd given in a little and told her some harmless stories. It was nice the way she hung on his every word, all trust and enthusiasm, completely different from the fake interest the passarounds feigned. She had opened the book again to a blank page, and was drawing a section of his cut, and the ink on his shoulder.

"Hey." He caught her attention. "You want to do something for me?" He asked, knowing this was probably a bad fucking idea, but the idea of marking his success as a hitman for his club was intoxicating.

"Of course, anything." She said, and he knew that she wasn't bullshitting him, Ashley'd do whatever he asked of her.

"I need some new ink, but I'm not sure what it should be." He told her, scooting his chair over next to hers. "It can't specifically be about the club, but it's still club related, you understand?"

"Sure, that makes sense, I think. What's the ink for?" She asked, and her eyes were so goddamn big in the dim light.

"Uh, making a record of something. And there'll be more, so it's gotta be something small." He told her, not wanting to give too much away with her looking at him so shrewdly. Her eyes were sharp though, and he thought that while she may not know exactly what it was for, she was probably on the right track.

"What about something with your motorcycle? A part, or the detailing?" She was thinking out loud, and he just let her run with it, her pencil was scratching away on the paper. He twirled a piece of her hair absentmindedly around his fingers, leaning over to watch the path her thoughts were taking. He knew she had it when she wrote out his initials and her head snapped up, refocusing on him, her face close to his. "You don't go by your real name anymore, do you?"

"Nope." He said, grinning at her. "They all call me Happy."

"With your initials and your-" She broke off and waved a hand, indicating his face. It made him laugh, but he nodded. She bent back over the paper and drew just a simple smiley face, just like the original seventies version. It was simple and ironic as fuck, and he loved it.

"Bueno." He said, tapping his finger on it. Tugging on the curl he had wrapped around his other hand, he studied her face for a minute. "You ever think about tattooing?"

"I don't know, maybe." She told him, eyes locked on his, cheeks flushed.

"Put this one on me, it's small, it'll be really easy." He urged her, noting that someday very soon she was going be a stunner.

"I don't know." She hedged. "I don't know anything about tattooing."

"You don't have to, I'll talk you through the whole thing." He coaxed, and she smiled eagerly.

"Alright, show me." She said, and he stood up to retrieve his kit. She asked lots of questions, but they were all really intelligent, and he was kind of relieved that he knew all the answers. When he was fairly certain she had a feel for the weight and vibration of the gun, he stood up and took off his cut, hanging it carefully over the back of the chair. Next he pulled his shirt off, and the way she watched him made him a little uneasy.

"You ready?" He asked her, and she nodded, her cheeks were flushed and those huge eyes of hers were bright. "You're gonna go nice and steady, don't let it intimidate you, ok?"

"Got it." She told him, and pulled the chair up in front of him, testing the height. He could tell immediately that it was going to be awkward, and she tried standing, and then ultimately went to her knees. He braced his boots on either side of her knees, and she could easily reach the spot he'd indicated on his abdomen. She looked up at him for approval, and her eyes were completely filled with trust, even though she was on her knees at his feet. It made him want to live up to that. He brushed her hair back from her forehead.

"Get on with it." He nodded at her, and she bit her lip and bent her head to the task. "A little more pressure, Ash, you're not going to hurt me."

It was only the work of a few minutes, but she was clearly a natural. Her hand was steady and she had a really good feel for the machine. He loved ink, and apparently this was exactly what he'd needed, because all the noise in the back of his head was gone the second she pressed the needle into his skin. She wiped it down a last time at his direction, and sat back on her heels, grinning at him. He couldn't help smiling back at her, she was one of those random bits of his life that had kept him steady when everything went shit side up. He pulled her up by her hand and tapped a finger on her nose.

"You did good, girl." He told her, and pushed her gently away, pulling his shirt on. He packed up his kit and slid his cut on, settling it on his shoulders. She was still standing, watching him when he opened the door to let himself out. "Lock the door." He told her, and then paused again. "And get some sleep."


	2. Not Getting Any Younger

**Disclaimer-I have plenty of MC boys all my own, but I'd gladly make room for the Sons of Anarchy if Kurt Sutter and FX ever decided to put them up for adoption. Until then, I don't own them.**

Ace slumped down in the chair with her boots propped up on one of Tig's knees, yawning hugely. He rubbed her shin affectionately for a minute until her eyes shut and then he shoved her legs off of his so her boots slapped the linoleum. She jerked upright and glared at him while he cackled with glee.

"Don't be an asshole, Tigger." She said, kicking his boot. A quick glance over at the bed reassured her that they hadn't disturbed Happy.

"Oh chill out, dollface, with those drugs, he'd sleep through a bike rally." Tig told her, sticking a toothpick in his mouth.

"I know." Ace said quietly, but she still got up and crossed the room to check on Happy anyway. His drinking, smoking, and frequent use of painkillers to ease his grip had caught up to him. He'd been a grouchy pain in the ass for months, complaining about his stomach pain, but refusing to go actually see a doctor. It wasn't until she'd caught him puking blood in Juice and Jenna's guest bathroom that the stubborn ass had given in to her. When the doctor had informed them that Happy had ignore the ulcer so long that it had eaten a hole through his stomach, Ace had sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of her nose, a mannerism she'd pick up from Hap over the years, trying not to lose her temper entirely. Mostly, she really wanted to punch him right in his perforated, bleeding stomach for not listening to her in the first place.

"It's an ulcer, not brain cancer, dollface." Tig reminded her. She'd been more of a wreck over this than he'd expected. It had been years since he'd seen her break down over anything the way she had when they'd wheeled Happy away. It amused him a little how fast she was swinging from worried to pissed and back to worried, again. It had been deadly quiet when the pair of them had gotten back from the doctor that day. Ace had stomped into Juice's house heading straight for the room she and Happy were staying in, with Killah right on her heels. She'd slammed the heavy door shut in his face, though, and after a few minutes of hammering on it, Happy had given up and stalked back out, peeling out of the little residential neighborhood at high speeds. When he'd come back less than an hour later, they had locked themselves in for a marathon fight and fuck session while Tig sat in the room next door and listened.

"I _know." _Ace insisted, and paced the floor between the bed and the two chairs, all of 4 and half feet of space.

"So whatcha all riled up for?" Tig asked, kicking the chair she'd vacated into her path. "Jesus fuck, sit your ass down. He'll be outta here in a few days and back on the road in no time. Did you remember to eat, you're acting all crazy again."

"I think so." Ace waved a hand, dismissing his concerns about whether she'd eaten or not. In 8 years, Happy had gotten this old man thing down pat, but somehow he'd never figured out how to feed his temperamental wife on time, so it still mostly fell to Tig. "I know he'll be fine, this time, but what about next time he ignores something for this long? Especially if you guys are out on the road without me to tell him he's being an idiot." She put the chair back where it had started and threw herself down in it. "Neither one of you are getting any younger."

"Well fuck you very much, dollface." Tig said good naturedly. "Time to push for a charter, then?"

"No, you know I won't do that." Ace defended. "I just worry about him. And you."

"Well knock that shit off." He told her. "Go back to Juice's place and eat and sleep, come back later. I'll stay with him."

"Fine, but if he wakes up or anything changes, you call me, got it Tigger?"

**No Other Man Alive**

Tig was surprised when he woke up the next morning and Ace wasn't back, yet. It was pretty early, before six, but he'd assumed that she would drive back to the hospital whenever her weird ass insomnia woke her up. He'd stood up to go seek out some coffee and call Ace, when he realized that Happy wasn't still passed out cold. He froze, pegged down by his partner's stare.

"I made her go home and sleep." Tig explained, knowing what Happy was going to ask, and sparing him the pain of talking this early in the morning, and after being intubated. Happy nodded, letting his head fall back onto the pillows. "Want me to call her?"

"Nah." Happy immediately wished he hadn't tried to talk, his throat was on fire. He watched Tig drag his chair closer, and nodded gratefully when Tig poured him some water that was still semi-cold. Once he'd choked down the water, he scrubbed his face hard, trying to think through the drug haze and the pain. "She still pissed?"

"I don't like to get in the middle of your guys' shit." Tig said, scratching at his head, making his hair stand on end. Happy shot him a glare, because Tig loved nothing better than getting in the middle of them, and Tig grinned ruefully. "Yeah, I know. But she ain't pissed, brother, she's _worried."_

"Fuck." Happy flexed his right hand unconsciously; the doctor hadn't pulled any punches telling him that his smoking, drinking, and excessive use of pain pills had likely been the cause of the hole he'd ripped in his stomach. He'd known for over a year that he was pushing his luck staying out on the road all the time, but every time they'd managed an extended stay anywhere, he found some reason to move on. It wasn't the road holding him back, he'd sat at charters and survived, and he was getting too fucking old to be a Nomad for much longer; he was worried about fucking things up with Ace if they settled down somewhere. They'd been so good on the road until his stomach had started bothering him, and even then Ace mostly brushed off his shitty moods. But putting down roots somewhere, getting into a routine, he didn't know either of them would take that, or whether they'd just take it out on each other.

**No Other Man Alive**

Ace startled herself awake with one of those dreams where you feel like you're falling. She checked her phone, which had no new messages, and cursed under her breath when she saw the time. It definitely hadn't been her intention to sleep through the entire night. She could hear that either Juice or Jagger was downstairs playing videogames. It was a toss up whether whichever one it was was still up from last night or up early this morning. The Ortiz boys rivaled her when it came to weird sleeping shit. More than a few times in Jagger's first few years, Jenna had called Ace begging her to come and help for a week or two because she was so exhausted trying to keep up with him.

Groaning a little and stretching carefully, Ace dragged herself out of bed and dressed quickly. She carried her boots down the stairs, not wanting to wake up anyone who might still be sleeping. Juice and Jagger were actually both up, side by side, battling it out in some first person shooter. At eight years old, he was spitting image of his father, hardly any of Jenna had bled through.

"Did we wake you?" Juice asked, apologetically, even though his eyes never left the screen.

"No, not at all." Ace told him, sitting in the chair at Juice's left hand, pulling on her boots. "I didn't actually mean to sleep so long."

"Hey." Juice nudged his kid in the side. "Go get in bed before your mom gets up and murders me, ok?"

"Alright. Good night, Dad." Jagger went willingly enough, flashing that charming Ortiz smile at Ace as he hit the stairs.

"He looks more and more like you every day." Ace said, shaking her head.

"I know, it drives Jenna nuts." Juice smiled, too. "Want me to drive you to the hospital? I'm off today, so it's no big thing."

"No, thanks. I'd rather have my car there." Ace looked at Juice appraisingly, and he raised his brows. "You guys have been here for a long time, do you like it?"

"Yeah, The City's a faster pace than Charming, but the club's a lot more chill." Juice told her, and she could tell that he was feeling her out. "Are you two finally going to pick a charter?"

"Probably not, I just wondered, that's all." Ace dismissed the idea with a weak smile. Truth was, she was getting tired of being out on the road all the time. And even as she'd told Tig that he wasn't getting any younger, she wasn't exactly sipping on the fountain of youth, either. She wanted to give Happy as much time on the road as he wanted, but the last couple of years had been harder than the ones before, first with the trial, and then a few months later the stomach pain had started up. And it wasn't just the age thing that had her worried these days, she'd gained a fairly widespread reputation as a traveling East coast artist, so neither one of them was terribly inconspicuous these days. Anyone who wanted to find Happy had only to figure out where she was working and circle out from there.

Juice pulled her to her feet and walked her to the door. She paused to zip up the hoodie she'd snagged from Happy's bag, it was warmer than hers was and it was cold as hell in the pre-dawn November air. She hugged Juice tightly before flipping the hood up and making the chilly dash to her car, praying the heat would kick in before she actually got to the hospital.

**No Other Man Alive**

Tig shot off a text from the hallway outside Happy's room, and then managed to get himself lost twice trying to find some goddamn coffee. He'd been looking for the cafeteria, but finally just gave the hell up and bought the overpriced froufrou stuff from the lobby. He also added two of the biggest muffins he'd ever seen in his life, figuring that Ace would've left the Ortiz residence without eating anything. The woman in question caught up with him before he made it to the elevator, taking one of the coffees out of his hand gratefully.

Thanks." She mumbled, and took a tentative swig, leaning against his left shoulder. "How is he?"

"He's too mean to die." Tig said, letting her lead the way off the elevator. He kicked one of her boots behind the other one, she that she stumbled and her coffee sloshed over.

"You're such an asshole." Ace rolled her eyes at him, and grabbed a handful of his shirt to wipe her arm with. Laughing, Tig just put an arm around her shoulders, ruffling her hair roughly. "Seriously, was he alright when he got up?"

"He woke up before I did, had that creeper stare going on." Tig told her. "I think his throat is bugging him more than his gut, but he was talking."

Tig kept on walking when Ace stopped at Happy's door, heading for the waiting room at the other end of the hall. She was grateful that Tig never made her ask for privacy, he always knew when they needed time and just disappeared for a while. She pushed the door open as quietly as she could in case Happy had gone back to sleep, but a quick glance told her that she shouldn't have bothered. He'd been watching the door, waiting for her, and she felt shitty about leaving the night before.

"Hey, big man." She forced a smile onto her face, and went to grab one of the chairs, but he shook his head and shoved himself up against the rail of the bed, gesturing for her to climb up with him. Laughing softly, Ace left her coffee on the little rolling table and toed off her boots, then pulled Happy's big sweatshirt off over her head, dropping it next to the cup. She was very careful when she climbed up next to him, laying on her side, not putting any weight on him. In one of his rare moments of tenderness, Happy slid his hand over the back of hers, linking their fingers together, he brought their joined hands to his mouth, kissing her palm and then pressing it to his cheek.

"Sorry for being such a pain in the ass." He muttered into her ear, and this time, Ace's smile was genuine. It was still so hard for him to apologize for anything, usually all she got out of him after a fight was some extra sex and maybe another tattoo if she was lucky.

"It's fine, big man, just don't scare me like that again." She craned her neck so that she could see his face, but his eyes were closed.

"I won't." He answered, and a ghost of a smile crossed his lips, he knew she was watching him. She tucked her face back against his shoulder and they were both quiet for a long time. Ace was drifting, half asleep, but Happy was wide awake, mind working doggedly at the question he knew she'd never ask him. As much as he liked having her in bed with him he was relieved when Tig came back and forced her to go eat.

"You're gonna stick here, aren't you?" Tig demanded, his eyes narrowed. He wasn't surprised, this move had been about two years in the making, but he'd still hoped it wouldn't come. Truth was, he really liked their little threesome, but not enough to stay here in New York with them. He still had a few years left to him on the road. It was a tough call, though, it was the closest thing he'd had to a family since his ex-wife had run out on him and taken his kids. He'd been loyal to Clay and a part of him would always love Gemma, but so much of that relationship had been based on him being useful to Redwood.

"Here or down in Miami." Happy confirmed, and Tig shook his head.

"Come on, you got a couple more years in you, you mean ass bastard." Tig cajoled, knowing it was already a lost cause. He'd laid the ground work for this when he'd pointed out that Ace wasn't actually pissed off, and he knew it, but it was still a slap in the ass. He almost never felt like a third wheel to their twosome, and if Ace wasn't so hell bent on never pulling Hap's loyalties, he might mind being on the outside this time.

"I do." Happy admitted. "But I won't. You could always come, too." He pointed out, but he knew Tig wouldn't be ready for that, yet.

"Fuck off." Tig said, but without heat, sitting down and stealing a healthy swig of the coffee Ace had left unattended.

"Quit drinking her coffee, you know if you finish it, you're just going to go get her another one." Happy told him, thinking that sometimes the pair of them were like bratty siblings. He closed his eyes, pressing the morphine button, his gut felt like he'd chugged battery acid. He'd held off just to see his girl, and let Tig know where he stood so he could start thinking about his own plans.

The annoyingly chipper nurse woke him up an hour later to check his vitals. All he'd managed was an incoherent growl when she'd asked how he was doing. Ace had stepped handily between them, acting as translator until he could orient himself. In minutes, the bitch had what she needed and thankfully left them alone. He grunted and gestured to the empty space on the bed, and Ace obligingly curled up next to him.

"I was thinking about going to Gio's and seeing if they can throw me any work, even though I didn't tell him we were coming." Ace told him quietly. "But if you want me to stick around here, I can."

"Go later, when visiting hours are over anyway." He told her, twirling a lock of her hair around his finger. He took a fortifying breath, unsure of what her reaction would be. "See if his offer to keep you on permanently still stands."

Happy was reminded how stupidly lucky he was to have her when she just nodded and smiled against his side. Any other woman in the world would have made a huge fuss over the decision, but she knew what it had cost him and just accepted it without the dramatics. He was still worried about how they'd adjust, but knew he shouldn't. They'd been through harder shit than settling down and come out stronger for it.

"I love you." He told her quietly. It wasn't something he felt had to be said often, she knew how he felt without him saying so, but every now and again he liked to watch her light up like she did now. Usually he tried to do it when he had a chance of getting her naked, but he could make an exception.

"Love you, too, big man." She hummed, smiling up at him happily. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes, at peace with the world.


	3. You're fucking married, right?

**Disclaimer-I don't own the Sons of Anarchy.**

Happy parked his Harley in the public lot, disliking leaving it out in the open like that, but there wasn't another choice about the matter. Kickstand down, he pulled a smoke from inside his cut and lit it, still seated, staring at the apartment building. It was old, shabby, but not run down. The cars in the lot were all in decent shape, but not a single one had been made this decade. He considered checking license plates until he came across the one belonging to Tony Reyes, but seeing the fucking car wasn't going to make a fucking difference. He pulled hard on the cigarette, blowing the smoke through his nose, and then flicking the butt away. He got to his feet, rolling his shoulders to work out the kinks accumulated on the road. It had taken him a few hours to make up his mind to come here, but in the end he was a selfish guy and he wanted to keep up the ritual.

Checking his watch as he opened the door to the lobby, Happy wondered if Ace would be up. Back home, he'd have no doubt that she'd be down for company at just shy of two in the morning, but he didn't know if this new incarnation would be into burning the nighttime hours away with him. He climbed the stairs to the third floor and counted the doors, grinning when he saw light spilling out from under the one he was headed to. Ace might've thrown him for a loop with this stunt, but at least this one piece of her hadn't changed, she was definitely still awake. He knocked quietly and ducked to the side, just holding up a middle finger in front of the peephole. He heard her laugh through the thin door and throw the lock. She opened the door and they stared at each for a minute.

"You found me." Ace finally said, and grinned. He looked her over, noting every change in her, from the return to her natural red hair to the rings on her hand. The diamonds were too big for her hand, and when she followed his gaze to her wedding rings, Ace shifted uncomfortably. Happy glanced away and rubbed his head with a hand.

"I need work." He told her by way of explanation, shrugging. She nodded and stood back, gesturing him into the apartment.

"Just be quiet. Tony has to be up in a couple hours." Ace told him as he passed, and he nodded. He didn't want to fuck up her situation here, just get some ink and dip out. "It took you longer than I expected." She commented, and he followed her into the tiny little galley kitchen. She dropped the rings in a dish on the counter and washed her hands, drying them on a clean towel.

Happy didn't say anything, just held out his bag to her, but she shook her head. He was momentarily thrown, but kept walking behind her down the narrow hall. She turned, and held a finger to her lips warningly. She turned into a tiny bedroom, flipping on the light. The walls were plastered with her artwork, he'd recognize it anywhere. She'd been busy since the last time he'd seen her, her skill was increasing exponentially and he knew that with a few years of experience she would easily surpass him in skill and raw talent. He smiled approvingly when she pulled her own rig out of a desk drawer, checking the components automatically.

"Got your own, did you?" Happy chuckled quietly, and she smiled back at him, gesturing him back into the livingroom.

"Yep, I'm apprenticing with a shop in town." She told him proudly, and he had the crazy urge to pat her head like a puppy.

"Good girl." He told her. It was a smart move for her, and he was glad she was pursuing the ink trade on her own. "So where are we doing this?"

"On the floor." She told him, her voice apologetic. "I sincerely doubt my table will hold you."

Happy eyed the cheap table suspiciously, and decided she was probably right. He let his cut slide down his shoulders and hung it on the back of a chair. He pulled the sweatshirt off over his head, taking the t-shirt under it, too. Those he folded and dropped on the couch. Ace pulled her own sweatshirt off, and Happy couldn't help but drop his eyes to her stomach, checking for any tell tale bulging.

"I'm not knocked up." Ace told him drily, listing the hem of the tank to show off her flat tummy, and the relief he felt at that was powerful.

"Glad to hear it." He told her pointedly, and got down on the floor, tucking an arm behind his head so he could watch her work. She had everything set up neatly in moments, and he realized just how seriously she'd been taking her apprenticeship. She straddled his knees, eyes flying up to his to make sure he was good with it, and he waved his free hand at her to carry on. The noise in his head was finally starting to dim, something about her inking him settled him in a way he couldn't explain. He'd found another chick artist up in Tacoma and he'd hoped that she would have the same effect, but it hadn't been the same when she'd worked on him, and in the end he'd still chased Ace down for this. He didn't trust anyone else with the most important ink he had.

As with every other time, the second her needle hit his skin, his head cleared completely. When she lifted it to wipe down her work, he sighed heavily, feeling the tension leave his chest. It was practically choreographed, the way they met eyes after that first deep breath he'd take. Ace always smiled proudly, and much as he resisted, he always smiled back. It was one of the few moments of pure joy he had in his life, uncomplicated by obligation or expectations. He closed his eyes, feeling her move from his newest badge on to the previous ones, touching them up. He closed his hand over her wrist when she neared the first one, and it was her turn to sigh.

"Come on, Happy, let me fix it up." She begged, exasperated. It bugged the shit out of her that it wasn't perfect, but Happy liked it the way it was. It was the perfect reminder of where he'd come from, and he didn't want to lose that connection to his past.

"Not a fucking chance, Ace." He told her, sitting up, still holding her wrist. It was gratifying to find that it still made her uncomfortable when he invaded her personal space. He'd wondered if it was a virgin thing, but she obviously wasn't a virgin anymore and she still reacted the same way. Dropping her eyes, Ace scrambled off of him, cleaning up her stuff quickly. He got to his feet and pulled his t-shirt on, trying to think if there was anyone close enough to crash with or if he had to ride back to his Ma's place.

"You don't have to go, you know." Ace told him, and he looked at her, surprised. "I mean, all I have is a couch, but you're welcome to crash. You look exhausted, Hector."

He _was _tired. Happy looked at the couch and then glanced down the hallway to the closed door where Ace's new husband was sleeping. He couldn't believe she'd gone off and married Tony. The guy was the epitome of the dumb jarhead, and personally, he couldn't picture Tony being able to keep a handle on the Ace he knew.

"You sure that would be alright?" He asked her, eyebrows raised. "I mean, you're fucking married, right?"

"If I want to let an old friend crash on the couch, I can." Ace muttered defensively, crossing her arms like a petulant child.

"Alright." He agreed and kicked off his boots.

"I'm just gonna…" Ace gestured awkwardly down the hall and he nodded, watching until she closed the bedroom door behind her. Happy crammed himself onto the couch, reaching behind his head to turn off the lamp. He tried to picture Ace climbing into bed with her husband, but couldn't wrap his brain around it. Instead he let himself picture her the way she'd looked last year when she'd wandered over to his Ma's house when he'd been home visiting. She'd gotten just drunk enough to loosen her tongue, and he'd taken full advantage, interrogating her about her life and ascertaining that she wasn't going to end up another knocked up drop out. After an hour or so, she had quietly passed out in the chair on the porch and he'd carried her into his Ma's living room, dropping her carefully on the couch. She still seemed like a child to him, no matter how grown up she looked, and he wanted to keep her that way.

**No Other Man Alive**

Happy came all the way awake when he heard an alarm clock go off in the other room. It took him a minute to place where he was, and when he remembered he was at Ace's new place, he sat straight up. He pulled his boots on quickly, grabbing his sweatshirt and cut in one hand, letting himself out of the apartment. He stopped in the john in the lobby to take a piss, figuring he could hit the road before Tony even made it out of bed.

Stepping out into the parking lot in the predawn darkness, Happy spied Tony standing near his ride and knew that there wasn't any way to avoid whatever the fuck this conversation was going to be. Tony puffed himself up in his uniform and Happy nodded to him. Neither said a word for a couple seconds.

"She's my wife, you know." Tony finally said, brows low.

"Yeah." Happy acknowledged, waiting.

"Well, I don't really appreciate you dropping by my place in the middle of the night to see my wife." Tony spat, and the way he was tensed up gave away how scared he was of getting his ass beat. Happy took another step closer. He was tempted to put the little shit in his place, but he didn't want to put Ace in a bad position.

"You don't have shit to worry about, man." Happy said, instead. "Married pussy doesn't interest me." It rubbed him wrong talking about Ace and pussy, but he just wanted to get the fuck on the road already.

"Oh. Well alright, then." Tony was clearly expecting something different. He visibly deflated, and Happy stepped around him and mounted up. He left Tony standing in the parking lot without another word. He had to put up with the guy for Ace, but that didn't mean he had to fucking like the dude.

Happy took a deep lungful of the early morning air and turned his Harley Northward. No job ever felt complete until he'd seen Ace and gotten his ink, and when it was done, he felt lighter and more focused. He put Ace out of his mind and let the road take him home.

_**Sorry I've been MIA guys! Finally settled in with internet access. Any one shot requests?**_


	4. Jagger's Thing is in Fifteen Minutes

**Disclaimer-The Sons of Anarchy belong to someone else who is not me. **

Ace lay back on the big bed, laughing. She pushed her red hair out of her face and looked down to where Hap was grinning wickedly back from between her legs.

"Don't start." She whimpered halfheartedly, because he already had and she was positive that he wouldn't stop anyway. "We're supposed to be at Jagger's thing in like, fifteen minutes."

"Good thing we're only five minutes away." Happy chuckled, and bit down on the soft skin of her inner thigh, noticing how bare her thighs were and knowing exactly how he could dirty them up. If he'd had time he would have gone for his kit immediately, he loved inking her when she was horny, but they had to be over at the Ortiz house soon, so he had just enough time to make her cum.

"Mmm, good thing." Ace agreed on a gasp.

**No Other Man Alive**

"You're late." Jenna said when she opened the door. She took one look at the pair and burst into laughter. "God, you're worse than the teenager."

"Is it that obvious?" Ace hissed, frantically patting her hair and smoothing down her dress.

"Oh you look gorgeous, as always. But yeah, the two of you look entirely too happy to be at a graduation party." Jenna giggled, hugging her friend close. The two women had been through thick and thin together and it showed in their embrace, each holding on to the other tightly, foreheads together. "Did you ever think we'd get here?"

"I had nothing but faith in you and in Jagger." Ace said, and wiped away the two tears that spilled down Jenna's cheeks. It had been a hard few years for Jenna, trying to keep Jagger in line single-handedly after Juice had been killed in a hit and run on the GWB. They hugged again and Jenna pushed her away and hugged Happy next.

"You did good." He told her gruffly. The loss of Juice had hit him particularly hard, he'd never expected to outlive that brother, and it had sobered him. "Your Old Man would've been real proud."

"Thanks, Hap." Jenna smiled up at him. "Dammit, I need to stop with the crying. Apparently it embarrasses the smarty pants 17 year old." She rolled her eyes.

Jenna pushed them further into the house as she turned her attention to the guests arriving behind them. The house was packed with brothers from New York and New Jersey, with a few visiting members from farther away. There were some Old Ladies and then a herd of teenagers.

"We should go find Jagger." Ace told Happy when he'd disentangled himself from the Jersey boys. He shrugged and tucked her under his arm, twirling one of her curls around his finger. Her hair was going white in places, random streaks of it through her curls. She'd freaked a little when it had started coming in, threatening to dye her hair or cut it all off, but Happy told her to leave it alone. He liked the way it looked, kind of exotic. She was still sexy as hell, even though she was approaching 50, and Happy found himself glaring at some of the young punks that Jagger ran with when their eyes lingered a little too long on Ace's admittedly lovely legs.

"I should have made you put some fucking pants on." He grumbled and shoved her behind him so he could clear a path out into the little backyard. He spotted Jagger hitting on a pretty little blonde thing out in the gazebo. His chest always got a little tight the first time he laid eyes on the boy; he looked like a carbon copy of his dead father, minus the tattoos and the stupid haircut. Jagger saw them approaching and sent the girl off with a pat on the ass and a wink.

"Ace and Happy!" Jagger called, meeting them halfway. Happy hugged him and then passed him off to Ace, who was sniffling a little. "Oh shit, not you, too. My mom's been crying all week." Jagger was honestly horrified. He patted Ace's back comfortingly. Happy and his dad had taught him early on that there were certain old ladies that deserved the utmost respect and Ace topped the list. He glanced to Happy to make sure his balls weren't about to be thrown on the grill, but his dad's closest friend was shaking his head at his wife.

"Quit it, Ace, you're freaking out the kid." Happy winked conspiratorially at Jagger over Ace's head as he gently pulled her away.

"Sorry." Ace squeezed one of Jagger's arms. "But I'm so proud of you."

"I know. And I couldn't have done it without you guys, I owe ya." Jagger said, solemnly.

"Don't sweat it, kid." Happy grunted. "But if you lay that bike down riding when you've been drinking, I'm going to break every bone in your body." He'd given Jagger a custom Harley last week for his graduation, he'd been working on it for months, some of the parts had been salvaged from Juice's last Dyna and Happy had kept them in storage since.

"Noted." Jagger told him, his attention drifting back to the pretty blonde. Happy took the hint and steered his old lady back to the house. Ace was snatched right out from under his arm as soon as they crossed the threshold, and he tensed up for the spit second it took to identify his long time right hand man, spinning Ace around.

"Put me down, Tigger." Ace spat, and landed a kick to his shin.

"Ow, that hurt." Tig looked at her mournfully and she gave in and hugged him. "He didn't feed you, yet, did he? You always get mean when you don't eat."

"I'm not mean." Ace protested, and Tig grabbed a chip off of a nearby plate and shoved it in her mouth.

"Come on, doll." Tig pushed her in front of him, hands on her shoulders, steering her through the crowd. Ace couldn't help but laugh at him. He stopped in the kitchen and loaded up a plate, shoving it into her hands.

"There's no way I'm going to eat all that, Tig." She told him, but he shook his head at her.

"When will you learn? You'll get back there with a plate full of food, he'll give you the starved puppy look, to which you'll offer to go get him a plate, and he'll say no because he wants you to eat, and he won't go do it himself because he won't leave you alone, and so he'll end up eating two thirds of the food off of your plate because you'll feel bad." Tig finished up his tirade by holding out a cannoli for her to bite down on, eating the other half himself.

"A man with a plan. I like it, Tigger." Ace smiled up at him and opened her mouth obediently when he held up a forkful of lasagna for her to eat. The years that Tig had spent as a Nomad after Happy had settled into the NYC chapter had been difficult for her, even though he'd stayed on the East coast and checked in often. It had been a relief when he'd shown up on their doorstep with all his earthly belongings in a rented uHaul on the street. Tig would never tell Happy that Ace had practically begged him to settle down, but he figured Happy probably already knew that.

It was sometimes hard for him to be so close all the time and see all the things that he'd never have, even though he didn't really want them. He loved Ace more than any other woman he'd ever known, but he was glad she wasn't really his headache. He still took to the road more often than he should, but he always took a brother, sometimes even Happy when Ace pushed him out the door because he was driving her insane.

"I'm glad you stayed." Ace told him, and tapped his nose. He rolled his eyes at her.

"What are ya, on the rag or something? Quit being all chicky." He shot back, following her back through the crowd to where Happy was waiting impatiently.

"Real mature." Ace scoffed and settled herself on the knee Happy patted when she got close.

"I am so fucking glad you two never had a fucking kid. These things are brutally boring." Tig commented as he watched Ace and Happy go through the song and dance he'd already outlined in the kitchen. Ace cracked the hell up when caught her eye.

**No Other Man Alive**

"How much longer do we have to stay at this?" Happy asked, scraping his five o'clock shadow up the side of her neck in a deliberate and blatant attempt at coercion. It was gratifying that she still reacted to him just like she had their first time; the smallest touches could make her shiver. She turned a heated look on him and he almost felt bad for the manipulation he was about to lay on her, but not nearly bad enough to keep from doing it. "I really want to ink you when we get back to our place."

"Go tell Tigger to leave that underage girl alone and we can go." Ace told him, biting his bottom lip before pressing her mouth full against his.

"Mmm. Done." Happy agreed, standing abruptly and setting her on her delicate party shoes. Ace laughed with delight, and he narrowed his eyes at her in playful consternation. He'd had to face the fact that his feelings for his old lady were well known and widespread. He'd done a lot of fighting their first few years together, determined to prove that loving his woman didn't make him less of a man. It had been unnecessary, but no man dared joke about Happy's attachment to Ace anymore.

Ace followed Happy through the crowd, stopping every few feet to say goodbye to a visiting brother or make plans to spend time with one of the NYC old ladies. Happy was glaring at her, when he was ready to leave he usually just went, he didn't understand why they had to announce that they were taking off.

When they finally stepped out onto the sidewalk, it was full dark. Many of the townhouses on the street belonged to Sons, a real estate deal that Juice had put together. It had the dual purpose of bringing in a considerable income from rent and easy control over the neighborhood. Tenants were carefully vetted and almost always friends of the club. It was one of the few places in New York that Happy didn't feel crosshairs on the back of his neck. Ace was in a playful mood, swinging their joined hands between them, until he finally spun her in a quick circle so that she was tucked under his arm where he liked her. Laughing, she let go of his hand and tucked her hand under the back of his cut, thumb rubbing the column of his spine through his t-shirt.

Happy automatically checked the two Harleys parked on their front porch, his on the left and Tig's on the right. All was well, so he unlocked the door and pushed Ace inside, gripped by the sudden need to be inside her. Ace must have felt his urgency, because she pushed him back against the door as soon as he was inside. They didn't bother with lights and didn't make it out of the foyer.

**No Other Man Alive**

Tig patted the girl's hair, ignoring her big, shocked eyes. He'd checked her ID like Hap had told him to, and she was 18, so he was in the clear. The older he got, though, the weirder it felt after he fucked some random little slut, so instead of just walking out, Tig handed the girl her jeans and gave her a long awkward hug before leaving her in Jenna's little bathroom.

"Sorry." He apologized with a grin to the line of people waiting outside. A few of his brothers hooted and laughed, even high fived him as he moved through the crowd. He kissed Jenna on the cheek as he passed her in the kitchen on his way to the front door. It was close to midnight, and Tig figured that Happy and his crazy ass wife would probably have made it into their apartment by now. He walked alone down the block and when he stood on the porch, Tig considered just taking his Harley out for the night, but he was kind of tired, so he unlocked the door and went inside. The foyer reeked of sex and Tig chuckled to himself. He scooped the black lace panties off of the floor and hung them on the doorknob of Ace and Happy's door. He pressed his ear against the door, listening for them. The faint buzz of Hap's tattoo gun reached him and he grinned, heading for the stairs.

**No Other Man Alive**

Happy wiped down his work, already regretting it because it turned him on seeing his name scrawled across her inner thighs. He'd been thinking about it for a long time, saving the skin for it, but having the reality in front of him was so much sexier than even he'd thought it would be.

"You know this was a really bad idea, right?" Ace chuckled, knowing exactly where his head was at. "There's no way we can have sex until this is healed."

"I know." Happy groaned, and he noted the sound of Tig's boots on the floor above them. He packed away his kit and pushed it under the bed with his foot. Ace had pushed herself up the bed and was rubbing her hips with both hands. He took his glasses off and left them on her nightstand, sitting down and taking over the massage, pressing his fingers into her skin. Her tattoos were a map of their life together. It had taken him years to design and complete her sleeves, purposely spacing the ink sessions out so it wouldn't be over too quickly. It always soothed him when they inked each other.

"You're opening the shop tomorrow?" Ace asked, a little sleepily. The ink shop was hers, and Happy rarely worked while she was there, but he did open or close for her when she asked and stood in when they were really busy.

"Yeah, I can. You got something to be at?" He asked and crawled up the bed, pulling the comforter up with him. He twisted to turn off the lights and then settled Ace against him with all the easy familiarity of a couple that had been doing it for a very long time.

"Mmm, no, but I'm not going to put on pants until I absolutely have to." She hummed against his chest as he ran his fingers through her curls, pausing from time to time to untangle a snag.

"Doesn't really make me want to leave ya home alone, crazy Ace." He murmured, chuckling quietly.

**No Other Man Alive**

Tig lay on the floor, his feet up on the edge of the bed that Ace had finally made him purchase a couple years ago. He had a cigarette between his lips and a bottle of Jack near his hand. He couldn't hear exactly what Happy and Ace were saying, but the rhythm of them settling in for the night was familiar and comforting. When they'd quieted below him, Tig stubbed the cigarette out in the ashtray on his chest and hit the bottle again. His mind drifted to Charming and the woman, and what might have been, and figured what he felt might have been regret if he didn't have the peace of knowing Happy and Ace landed in their bed together every night. Fucking Charming, man.


	5. Shark, this is my, uh, Ace

**Disclaimer-I am not profiting off of the Sons, which is a crying shame.**

Happy hadn't needed to come through Fallbrook in months, and even now he'd tried to think of a way around bringing his new and very green right hand man into Ace's town. He'd tried to keep her separate from his life with the club, and mostly succeeded while he'd been up in Tacoma. His trips for ink waited until he could take off on his own, usually under the guise of visiting his Ma. But now that he was on the road, Shark was with him all the time, even when he went to Bakersfield. The kid knew when to shut the fuck up and keep his distance at least, and Happy trusted him enough to keep his mouth shut about her.

"You don't say one fucking word about being here." Happy said again, pulling his sunglasses off since the light was fading, and made a face at how disgusting they were.

"Not a word. Got it." Shark nodded emphatically, rubbernecking the neighborhood. He loved tat shops, and they'd stopped at plenty over the last few months. He had a regular place in Vegas that they hit up whenever they were in the area. This was a really tiny place, a mom and pop kind of joint, in a town that was nowhere near anything they had business with, and Happy was acting all kind of shady over it. Just a week ago he'd watched the Nomad drop a man without hesitation and seemingly without another thought once it was done. Something was definitely up with this place.

Happy pushed the door open into Bill's place, eyes automatically going to the back where Ace was set up. Her back was to the door, she was bent over her work table, her red hair a crazy mess falling over her shoulders. Bill had gotten up to greet him at the sound of the bell over the door, but Happy put a finger to his lips, prowling lightly up behind her. As soon as he got close, he realized he shouldn't have bothered with the stealth, she had ear buds in and wouldn't have heard a bomb go off by the sounds of it. He leaned over her shoulder, getting an eyeful of the piece she was drawing, a quarter sleeve from the looks of it. She jumped about a fucking mile when she finally noticed him and he dodged the half hearted punch she threw at him easily.

"Jesus Christ you scared the shit out of me, Hap!" Ace scolded him, pulling the buds from her ears, and putting her hands on her chest to slow her heartbeat. No one ever got that close to her these days. She took advantage of his distraction as he turned toward the door to really look him over, the way she never did when he was looking back. He looked tired to her, but not as wired as he had the last few times he'd come to get ink. She caught sight of the new patch at the bottom of his cut. "That's new."

Happy looked back at her, confused for a moment until he traced her line of sight to his cut. He hadn't been to see her since he'd left Tacoma. He hadn't realized how long it had actually been. He studied her carefully, searching for any little changes. She looked older to him, not the teenager he always expected by a long shot. The skin under her eyes was dark, like she hadn't been sleeping well. His eyes went to her stomach, always searching for any telltale swelling, relieved when he found her waist trim as always.

"Yeah." He answered her, settling the leather on his shoulders. "I left Tacoma a while back. Just traveling for now. This is my partner." He gesture to Shark, who stepped warily closer, eyes pinging back and forth between the two at high speed. "Shark, this is my, uh, Ace." He stumbled over the introduction, he'd never had to explain their relationship to anyone before.

"Nice to meet you." Shark ventured another step closer and reached a hand out. Ace looked at it and then to Happy for a half second before shaking it quickly and then dropping it.

"You, too, Shark." Ace said, looking questioningly at Happy the whole time.

"You got time for me?" Happy asked, grinning, because she always made the time. She shot him a dirty look, but shrugged.

"Don't I always?" She laughed drily, and sat back down on her rolling stool. "The usual?"

"Yeah, the usual." Hap agreed, shrugging out of his leather and handing it to Shark, along with his shoulder holster. The shirt he just folded and left on Ace's work table. He dropped onto the familiar chair, sprawling out and getting comfortable. He cocked his head to the side to watch Ace as she prepped inks and her gun. Finally, she stripped off the rings that he still thought were too big for her hand, dropping them in a drawer without another look. He was aware of Shark taking in the scene and wondered what questions he'd be fielding from the other Nomad later.

"Ready?" Ace finally asked him, turning to him, eyes meeting his. He could feel the tension begin to ease when she started prepping his skin.

"Always." He answered and she snorted a little laugh, not looking back up, which left him free to watch her face without her noticing. As soon as she put needle to skin, all the buzz in the back of his head just bled right out of him, and he marveled at the peace. It was only a matter of minutes before she moved on to touching up his other smiley faces, and he reached out and spun a curl around his finger while he watched her work. There was the slightest crease between her eyebrows as she concentrated, and she didn't even notice him twirling her hair. He shook his hand free when her eyes darted up to his and he knew that she was thinking about touching up that first one. "Uh-uh." He warned her pointedly.

"Come on, it'll take half a second and it will look a thousand times better." She bargained with him, despite knowing that he wasn't going to budge. Happy was getting ready to shut her down when the door that let out into the alley slammed open. He looked up, hoping he was wrong about who it would be, but he wasn't. Ace rolled back a little and turned a bright smile on Tony as he sauntered their way.

"Happy." Tony greeted him perfunctorily, staring at him just a second longer than necessary before he kissed Ace. Happy turned his face away, and shook his head at Shark's confused expression.

"You go ahead, I'll be a little while." Ace was explaining to her husband, eyes already drifting back to the line of smiley faces marching across his abdomen. Similarly, Happy's head rolled back in her direction. Both Happy and Ace looked up sharply at the camera shutter sound effect from Tony's phone when he snapped a picture. Tony just locked eyes with Ace as he dropped the phone in his pocket and backed toward the door.

Ace watched until her husband was out of sight, then shook her head a tiny bit to clear it. He probably wouldn't be happy when she got home, he hated when Hap rolled into town. She bit her lip a little, but then forced him from her mind. Happy had been away for months, and he'd likely disappear again as soon as she was finished, so she forced herself to enjoy the time she had with him. The easy rhythm of inking his smiley faces was hypnotic, and she smiled when she saw him twirling one of her curls around his finger, something he'd done since she was a baby. It was pretty much the only physical contact they had other than ink and she missed it terribly when he was gone.

**No Other Man Alive**

Shark had asked Ace to retouch some of his ink, and Happy knew that it was at least in part to give him more time with her. The extra hour had been nice, he'd looked through her sketchbooks and watched her work. Shark was a talker, and Happy was learning as much as Shark was about Ace's everyday life. It bothered him that they'd drifted so far apart. She was all woman now, and not the child who told him all her secrets. He wondered if he shouldn't give up these visits and let her move on. Ma told him that she hadn't come back to Bakersfield at all, and she never called.

He turned back when he reached his bike, Ace was leaning one shoulder against the doorframe. She lifted a hand when she saw him. Happy nodded back to her and acknowledged to himself that he wasn't going to stop coming here. He let himself keep looking at her for another minute, storing the memory up against the months of road ahead of him. Sure he had it embedded firmly in his brain, he mounted up and led the way back to the highway, Shark falling in to his right.

Ace yawned and rubbed her arms, trying to warm them up. She watched the pair of bikers readying themselves for the ride, and wondered where they would sleep tonight. Happy used to crash at her place on his trips through Fallbrook, but it had gotten too tense between him and Tony, so he'd stopped a few years ago. Hap looked back at her and she waved a little, glad that her face was in shadow so he couldn't see how hard it was every time he left. She stayed there, absorbing his presence and locking away the feeling. It could be a very long time before he came through again.

The pair disappeared into the night without another word or backward look. Ace sighed and checked her watch. The extra hour she'd spent with Happy's sidekick was going to be hard to explain when she got home. She snorted, knowing that it wasn't going to matter. Tony was going to be pissed no matter what, and she'd known that when she agreed to work on Shark. The price to spend time with Happy was never too high, though, she reminded herself, squaring her shoulders. The sounds of the two Harleys was still audible and Ace wished she could go with them to wherever they were going, even if they slept on the ground tonight it was probably better than what she was facing.

**No Other Man Alive**

Ace unlocked the door of the little house that they'd purchased in the Spring. All the lights were off and a chill shot down her spine.

"Awfully late." Tony commented from the couch. His voice was slightly slurred and Ace's stomach twisted.

"I did some touch up work for Happy's partner." Ace tried to explain, even though it wasn't going to change a goddamn thing. Tony was off the couch and shoving his phone in her face, the picture of her and Happy on the screen. She couldn't help the smile that flashed across her face, and didn't hide it fast enough. As always, Ace fought the urge to fight back, disappearing inside her mind instead. She was already planning how to get a copy of the picture Tony had taken. She hadn't seen Happy look that open and relaxed in forever and she held that image between her and the reality happening to her.

**No Other Man Alive**

Happy and Shark stopped less than an hour away from Fallbrook, holing up for the night in a motel. He was smoking on the second floor walkway outside their door, not ready to sleep just yet. Shark had casually asked about Ace, and Happy had given him the most basic version of the truth; that they'd lived next door to each other for years and that she was a friend. Shark hadn't believed a word of it, but Happy didn't really know how else to explain her to him. She was the link tying him to the person that he might have been, and the only quiet place he'd ever found.

He checked the time and figured she was probably in her bed by now. His gut twisted when an image of her climbing on top of her shithead husband drilled into his imagination. He'd never understand how a dick like Tony had landed a stunner like Ace. It had only made him admire her more watching the way she was with her husband. Her loyalty and focus were absolute, a trait that all the best old ladies in the MC world possessed. It was wasted on a man like Tony, but it wasn't his place to say anything. He just wanted her happy and safe.

Happy closed his eyes and called up the image of her standing in the open door of the tat shop, arms crossed against the chilled air. It wasn't the same as being under her needle, but it was enough to send him to his own bed. He fell asleep with Ace on his mind, proud of who she had grown into and whatever part he'd had in that.


	6. She's told me a lot about you

**Disclaimer-I might dress up like Kurt Sutter for Halloween, but I don't actually have any rights.**

Happy was late and he knew it, but he barreled down memory lane anyway. His mother was going to tear into him for not being there early like she's warned him to be. When he got to the high school parking lot, there wasn't a person in sight, which told him better than any watch just how late he actually was. Instead of bursting into the auditorium in the middle of the ceremony, he decided to just wait it out. He parked his Harley on the sidewalk, and stretched, his shoulders sore from the hours on the road. He wandered the rows of cars, not seeing the one he was hoping for, and feeling like an asshole for being late.

He was sitting sideways on his Harley, smoking when people started to pour out of the building. Happy searched the crowd until he spotted her. Ace had both her arms wrapped around some punk in a Marine Corp dress uniform, beaming up at him like the sun shone out of his asshole. He knew about the boyfriend, had known for over a year, but so far he'd managed not to meet him. He scowled a little, not as sure about his welcome as he'd been on his ride down.

"Stop glaring, mi hijo." His mother appeared at his elbow and he hugged her gently. Delia held him at arm's length and studied him, just as she always did. "Be nice." She said with a warning look. "She's happy and she loves him."

"Ash isn't old enough to love him." He grumbled, but smiled when Ace finally noticed him waiting for her. She dragged the boyfriend along behind her, half running down the sidewalk. The grin he got was equally as bright and made her look younger than eighteen.

"Proud of ya, Ace." He told her, reaching out and tugging on a dark curl that had escaped from the complicated looking knot on top of her head.

"Thanks, Happy." She smiled and he pushed his sunglasses up to get a better look at her. He knew she wasn't any younger than some of the girls hanging around Tacoma's clubhouse, and objectively he knew she was a fucking knockout, all curves and those big eyes, but she was still a kid to him. The boyfriend she'd told him all about last summer when her lips had been whiskey loose stepped forward with his hand out, and Happy kept his eyes locked on Ace's for a long second before he turned to the guy.

"Tony." He gripped the guy's hand a little harder than was probably warranted, but to his credit, Tony didn't flinch. "You'd better be treating my girl right."

"Hap!" Ace hissed, her eyes big.

"No, it's fine, honey." Tony told her, effectively drawing her attention back to him. "I'm taking good care of her. She's told me a lot about you."

"Really?" Happy said, looking at Ace curiously, who shrugged at him before turning back to the punk at her side. Delia elbowed him sharply in the side and he grunted a little.

"Let's get home, I made tamales." Delia broke into the silence.

**No Other Man Alive**

Happy watched Ace from his mother's porch, not even bothering to pretend like he wasn't. Her and the Marine had left Delia's a few hours earlier and only just emerged from Ace's house. The heels and cigarette pants she'd been wearing earlier were gone, she was in a pair of sweatpants that were riding dangerously low on her hips and her feet were bare. The boyfriend had changed, too, the dress uniform in a fancy hanging bag. It didn't sit well with Happy how relaxed they both were with each other.

Ace squealed happily when Tony swung her up onto the hood of the car and Happy noted the license plate number, just in case. He didn't know how he felt about this new, grown up Ace. The idea of her with a boyfriend had been amusing last year when it had just been a theory, but based on the makeout session happening a couple yards away, there wasn't anything funny about it. He was relieved that she'd been smart enough to keep her legs together long enough to graduate, at least. He stood up and watched her as she watched Tony get in his car and drive off. As soon as the car turned the corner, though, she looked back over her shoulder and met his eyes.

"Come on over, Ace." He muttered under his breath and crooked a finger. She grinned and crossed to Delia's house, climbing the stairs without hesitation. He didn't move back or sit down, so she had to squeeze past him to get to the other chairs. It was comforting that the close proximity still made her jumpy, hopefully it meant that she was still a virgin, despite what he'd already seen.

"Thanks for coming down, Hector." Ace hummed happily from where she sat crosslegged on the chair. He sat down next to her, an arm casually throw across the back of her chair, where he could wrap a curl around his finger while he sat with her.

"I wouldn't have missed it." Happy said around a cigarette as he lit it, then grinned at her. "Well, I guess I kinda did miss it, but it's the thought that counts, right?"

"My parents didn't even show up, Hap." She snorted in that way he knew meant that she was trying not to care.

"You'd be better off a goddamn orphan, that's how useless your old man is." Happy pointed out, trying not to look at her tits, but her nipples were visible through the thin cotton tank top she was wearing, and she obviously wasn't wearing a bra. He leaned his head back and closed his eyes to keep himself from staring. Her hair felt the same wrapped around his finger as it had when she had been little. "So any big plans, graduate?"

"Maybe I'll head up to Tacoma." She teased and he had a momentary nightmare vision of her hanging out in Tacoma's clubhouse, just another sweetbutt getting passed around. Kozik really liked them young.

"Don't even joke, baby girl." He warned, not opening his eyes. He didn't want to see the look on her face. "You're too good for Tacoma."

"I couldn't leave if I wanted to, you know that." She sighed resigned beside him. "Someone has to make sure the light bill gets paid."

"Ace." He barked and sat up to look at her. "You can't be serious. Those two made their choice a long time ago and it's never been you, so you don't owe them shit. You want to split town? Do it, and do it before they suck you down with them."

"Thanks, Happy." Ace said, resting her cheek on the chair next to his shoulder and yawning. "But I can't just turn my back on them."

Happy looked down at her, her eyes closed and face relaxed. He kind of wished he could be a different man, the kind who would be able to offer her some other way out, but he'd never give up his club and he'd never let her near it, either. He started to rest his cheek on her hair, but that gave him a view right down her tank top, so he sat straight up, instead, reminding himself that she was barely out of high school and he was in his fucking thirties and that she was _Ace._

"Go home." He said, nudging her gently. He followed her down the stairs, veering off to his bike. There was a blonde a few towns over that let him do just about whatever he wanted to her, and that was exactly what he needed to clear his head.

"Hey Happy?" She called to him from the back door of her own house. He looked up at her questioningly, hand on the ignition. "It's nice having you home."


	7. You look like you could use a drink

**Disclaimer-I don't own the Sons of Anarchy, but I do have two wonderful charters of MC men at my back**

Happy swallowed hard, looking to Bear one last time before pushing the door open. They'd stopped at a diner on the outskirts of town where he'd gotten the assurances of Tacoma's SAA that this side trip was going to go unspoken of back North. He'd always made these visits alone, but Kozik had dimed him out before he'd hit the road and his President had told him he had to bring someone. Initially he considered just taking Kozik, but opted for the older, married Bear instead. Bear didn't need to fill the silence the way Kozik did, and right now, Happy needed the quiet.

The bell above the door was louder than he remembered, and he glanced up at it before his eyes went right to her. Ace was working on someone, but she was facing toward and the door and had looked up as soon as he'd crossed the threshold. He watched her face go from that crazy, open grin he was looking for to horror when she took in his wounds. Happy shook his head at her a little so she'd know he was fine, but she'd turned back to her client, sending him off to stretch for a few minutes.

Happy glanced behind him, but Bear wasn't showing any interest in doing anything other than holding up the wall next to the door. He stepped forward to meet Ace, holding out the bottle of Jack he'd picked up on the way. He'd taped a bow to it, but it was mostly squashed.

"Happy birthday." He croaked and immediately wished he'd kept his fucking mouth shut.

"Jesus, Hap." Ace breathed, her eyes huge as she took in the damage. It'd been over a week, but fuck if his neck didn't look worse than it had the first couple of days. He'd debated putting it off, but he needed Ace's magic touch more than he ever had before. The thoughts and plans and extrapolations weren't a buzz in the back of his mind, they were a roar that reverberated off the inside of his skull.

"I'm fine, baby girl." Happy told her, wincing at the gravel scraping sound of his own voice. In a move that he didn't pause to think about, he reach a hand out and traced the curve of her cheekbone with his thumb, his fingers disappearing into the brilliant red curls. Ace pressed a hand over his firmly, holding on even as he started to pull away. She squeezed once and dropped it.

"I'm guessing you're going to need some work?" Ace asked him, taking the bottle from his other hand. He'd forgotten he was still holding it. Happy nodded, not bothering to say anything. He reached in his cut and pulled out a drawing he'd been working on. Ace studied it and nodded, then looked back to where her client was tapping his foot impatiently. "I need to finish this up, give me half an hour?"

Happy nodded again and dropped onto the worn leather couch in the little lobby area. He let his head fall back, the burn in his neck screaming at him. He wished he'd gotten his own bottle of Jack. The sound of Ace's gun was like a lullaby, its buzz predictable and soothing. He cracked an eye open, but Bear was still beside the door, eyes moving restlessly around the place. Happy wanted to tell him that he could relax there, but it was beyond him to turn down the SAA's vigilance. It gave him a minute to wind the fuck down a little before getting into his girl's chair.

When the sound of her gun died, Happy sat up and rubbed his face hard, pressing the heels of his hands into his tired eyes. He stood up to watch the guy Ace had been working on walk out the door, and he wondered if she knew that the guy had a hard on for her. Ace locked the door behind him, and flipped off the outside lights, and he dogged her steps, wanting to get close enough to catch some peace. Bear took up the spot Happy had vacated on the couch.

"Are we starting with the usual?" Ace questioned him as he pulled off his cut and shirt. He held up three fingers and flopped back in the familiar chair. Her eyebrows raised a little, but she nodded. "Good."

Happy wondered how much she really knew about their business together, and whether she'd run and hide if he told her all the dirty details. It was tempting to just unload it all and ease himself, but he never wanted to change the way Ace looked at him, so he wouldn't. He wished he could have kept her fourteen and innocent.

It was always the same, and always profound. Happy could take a real breath as soon as her needle hit his skin, and their eyes met, and Ace smiled, all proud of herself. She was fully aware that he got more than ink out of their time together, and he was glad of that. Happy let his eyes fall shut, wallowing in the empty space in his head. He didn't open them, just soaked in the feel of her gloved left hand pressed against his skin and the bite of the needle in her right.

"I'm going to make a stencil for the other piece, make sure the spacing is right." Ace murmured half to herself. "And the placement, too."

"Whatever you think." Happy said, and cleared his throat painfully. Her hand flexed the tiniest bit on his stomach and he wouldn't have opened his eyes to see the look on her face for a million dollars. He kept still through her completion of his smiley faces and through the wipe down. He only opened them again when she'd rolled away and the distinct sound of glass on glass drew his attention.

"You look like you could use a drink." Ace said, handing him a highball after sucking off the overfill. She kicked the drawer shut that she must have taken the glass out of, and Hap snorted quietly. She tapped the neck of the bottle against the glass in his hand and took a healthy swig before closing it up. He drank the Jack in one burning swig, twirling the empty glass in his hand and watching her through it as she prepped for his next piece.

**No Other Man Alive**

Happy had opted to move to a regular chair for his next piece, he was sure that if he laid flat out, he'd probably end up snoring. Ace had lowered her stool so that she was eye level with his chest, and was tucked right between his knees. With her head bent, he could feel her breathing on his skin and her hair was right in his face. He took a deep breath in through his nose, wondering if she'd still smell the way she had as a baby.

"Did you just smell me?" Ace asked without looking away from the mantra marching across his skin. She sounded very amused by the prospect.

"No." Happy told her, and this time she did look up at him through her lashes, eyebrows raised. "Maybe." He admitted and he could feel her trying not to laugh. She even stopped inking him for a minute, waiting until her hands were steady again. He rolled his eyes at her and let his head roll back so he was staring at the ceiling. She was moving steadily from his right shoulder to his left, the phrase spilling out on his skin in nine words. Short and to the point.

"You doing alright?" She asked him, not looking away from his chest.

"Yeah." His voice came out as a thin whisper and he coughed hard to loosen his throat. Ace looked up at him, alarmed, pulling back a little to give him room to breathe. The more he tried to catch his breath, the harder he coughed. Ace finally got up and filled the empty tumbler with water, waiting until he'd caught his breath to hand it to him and sit back down.

"Thanks." He croaked carefully. Ace looked up at him for a long moment and then moving slowly, leaned forward and very gently pressed her lips to the discolored skin of his neck. Happy barely registered the featherlight kiss before she'd gone back to work finishing up his piece. His chest was tight and he was a little thrown by the affection. Ace had always been an island, they almost never touched if she wasn't inking him. He made up his mind not to dwell on it, opting instead to close his eyes and keep just breathing her in, riding the endorphins.

All too soon, she was finished, and she led the way to the floor length mirror. Even backwards he could read the words. I live, I die, I kill for my family. Inflamed and reddened, it still looked right in his skin, and Happy nodded once to acknowledge this outward expression of what he'd been feeling all his life.

"Thanks, Ace, it looks perfect." He rasped, carefully to keep his throat loose so he didn't choke on the words like an asshole.

"Anytime, Hap." She answered, smiling at him in the mirror from just behind his right shoulder. He watched her face go hesitant and then outright worried. "You look exhausted." She said quietly. "Why don't you two stay at my place tonight. I'd feel better knowing you weren't out on the road."

Happy looked at her sharply. He hadn't been staying with her recently, Tony made it very clear that he wasn't really welcome and Hap had made it very clear in turn that he didn't fucking care. He only ever came to see Ace and he didn't give two shits how Tony felt about it, just as long as he kept taking care of his girl.

"Tony's not going to mind?" He questioned, rubbing his face as she dressed the new ink. He was running on fumes, but didn't want to cause her any grief if he didn't have to.

"He's in the field for the next few weeks, so he won't be there." Ace told him, and met his eyes straight on. If she'd avoided his gaze or looked the least bit uncertain he'd have told her no.

**No Other Man Alive**

Happy was in Ace's shower, letting the hot water trickle down over him. He was tired, but still a little restless. He popped the lid on the shampoo bottle and took a whiff and found himself suddenly and inexplicably hard. He looked down at his dick stupidly for a minute, but the fastest way to get rid of a hard on was to go ahead and jerk off. He'd hit his stride, thinking about the chick tattoo artist he fucked regularly up in Tacoma, when a light tap on the door of the bathroom froze him.

"Hey Hap?" Ace called, cracking the door open. "Do you mind if I quick wash my face? I'll be outta here I a second."

"Go for it." He called back, cursing himself and tiny fucking apartments with only one bathroom. He stroked himself slowly, not wanting to alert her to the fact that he was the asshole jerking off in her shower. He heard the water splash and the sound of her brushing her teeth, and figured she couldn't hear him anyway. He cracked the shower curtain open a sliver to make sure she wasn't paying any attention to him. She wasn't, she was leaning over the sink, wearing grey leggings. Happy cocked his head to the side to get a better look and as his eyes traveled up her legs he realized that she wasn't wearing any panties and bent over the way she was, he could definitely make out-and that was the end of him. He came hard, and bit down on his hand to avoid making any kind of noise.

"Let me know when you're done." She said, her voice muffled by the towel she was drying her face with. "I'll redress your ink for the night. After that, it's all yours."

"Yep." Happy anwered, looking down at his dick in disbelief as the door clicked shut behind Ace.

**No Other Man Alive**

It wasn't quite light out when Happy got up the next morning. He'd taken the couch and sent Bear to the futon in the other bedroom. His plan to slip out undetected before Ace woke up was derailed when he saw the light spilling out under her door on his way to the bathroom. Sure enough, when he came out, Ace poked her head out of her room.

"Hey." She whispered, smiling. Her hair was a riot, just an absolute mess, and he smirked at her. She rolled her eyes and he followed her into the small kitchen, sitting on the counter while she made coffee. She pressed a hot mug into his hands and leaned against the counter next to him.

"Listen, Ace." Happy started, then paused to choke down some of the coffee to lubricate his voice. "If you ever need me, all you gotta do is call, alright?" He told her, reaching behind her to grab a pen and some random scrap of paper. He scrawled the number for his prepay down and pressed it into her hand.

"Alright." Ace agreed quietly, looking at it for a second before tucking the paper into the kangaroo pocket of the pull over hoodie that was way too big on her. Bear walked into the kitchen without a word and Ace hurried to get him a mug. It was quiet in the room, all three sipping their caffeine without needing to fill the space up with words. Finally Happy pushed off from the counter, landing heavily on his boots and nodding to Bear. Ace grabbed her keys from the mess on the counter and followed the pair.

Happy turned and lifted a hand to her when he reached the Harleys. She'd stopped on the sidewalk, shifting from foot to foot, the pavement probably cold on her bare feet. She'd pulled the hood up, her red hair spilling out on both sides, and her eyes in shadow, but he could see her smile when she waved back. When he rocked the Harley off it's kickstand and headed out of the lot, he finally felt like he could look forward and not back over his shoulder.

**No Other Man Alive**

Ace heard the number not in service message and hit end, staring at the phone in disbelief. He'd only been gone for a few weeks, but the number he'd given her definitely didn't work. After the days of internal war she'd waged on herself to even get up the nerve to call him, and the fear of what he was going to think when she asked him to take her away from here, all for nothing. He'd already ditched the phone he'd given her the number for, without even a second thought. Feeling very small and defeated, Ace slipped the phone back into her pocket and crumpled the slip of paper up, dropping it into the trash can at her desk.

"Everything alright, Ace?" Bill asked her from his cubicle across the way. He was kicked back in his own chair, with his laptop on his knees, probably working on payroll. Ace couldn't help but smile reassuringly at him.

"Fine, Bill. Just had a bad number for someone, that's all." Ace explained and put it out of her head. It had been a stupid plan, and poor Hector would have been disappointed in her for even thinking it.


End file.
